For hundreds of years, a very special kind of rug has been made in southeastern Serbia. 

Kilim rugs from the town of Pirot are famous the world over: They can be found not only in public buildings across Serbia, but also in the homes of many famous public figures both in Serbia and around the world. The designs used in the rugs are also a popular motif around the country. 

The weaving of these rugs has been on Serbia's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2012. The rugs themselves are an integral part of the country's heritage and are regularly presented as a gift of state to high-ranking visitors from abroad. 

The five women who weave the rugs that bear the name "kilim of Pirot" must adhere to a set of strict rules and standards and are confident that UNESCO will recognize their craft as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

You can read the script of the video here: 

Slavica Ciric, Director of the "Lady's Heart" (Damsko srce) cooperative
"This is a handicraft; there is no way to speed up the process. There are no devices that can be used. The rug is woven with the strength of the fingers and eyes alone. The weavers rely entirely on their memories when working."

Rugs that bear the name "kilim of Pirot" can be found in the highest institutions of the land and the homes of public figures across Serbia. This traditional hand-woven rug from the town of Pirot in the southeast of the country could soon be added to one of UNESCO's lists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Slavica Ciric, Director of the "Lady's Heart" cooperative
"What makes kilim rugs from Pirot so special is that they are woven on a vertical loom, that they are made using sheep's wool from the Pirot region, that both sides are absolutely identical, that each and every rug — no matter how wide it is — is woven as a single piece, and that there is a high density of patterns per square meter."

Today, there are only five women who can produce these rugs. They are the only ones who have mastered this traditional handicraft and all work at the Lady's Heart cooperative. This makes it all the more important that this handicraft is kept alive and is recognized as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Slavica Ciric, Director of the "Lady's Heart" cooperative
"In order to be able to learn the elementary methods and patterns and to make these little rugs, which are now also sold as souvenirs, and in order to be able to call herself a 'weaver,' a woman must work at this craft daily for five years and make a large rug measuring 1.4 by 2 meters. If she manages that, she can call herself a 'weaver.'"

Making kilim rugs takes a lot of hard work and patience. The rugs' typical patterns are everywhere in the region: on the walls of public buildings and even on the clothes of civil servants officiating at weddings. 

These dresses are the brainchild of fashion designer and journalist Silvana Tosic. Her creations, which have been shown on the catwalks of Belgrade, Paris and Turin, carry deep meaning for her.

Silvana Tosic, Journalist and fashion designer
"Kilim from Pirot have a huge emotional value and, more recently, a certain marketing value for me. My grandmother Dusanka was a rug weaver. I grew up with rugs, and I think that the 'tupica' [the comb like tool used by weavers], the loom and balls of wool were my first toys. What my grandmother gave me is a legacy that allows me to pass on and share the story of kilim from Pirot in a different, more modern way."

To carry the designation "kilim of Pirot," a rug has to be made in Pirot using local materials and woven according to a strict set of rules. The cooperative of Pirot kilim weavers was founded over 120 years ago, but the kilim weaving tradition in the town dates back to the ninth century. Pirot is also the only place where people can be trained to weave these rugs.

Slavica Ciric, Director of the "Lady's Heart" cooperative
"We have official protection for 95 patterns and 122 smaller details. The rugs look like they were painted by a painter."

It takes about eight months to weave a rug measuring 2 by 3 meters. The packaging is also very important — especially when the rug is to be presented to an institution or a high-ranking public figure.

The five weavers in Pirot continue to weave day-in, day-out. After all, one condition for UNESCO recognition of a handicraft as intangible cultural heritage is that it is kept alive.